Burrata () is an Italian cow milk (occasionally

buffalo milk The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

)

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is typical of

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

History

Burrata is a typical product of Murgia in the

south of Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...

. It is produced from cow's milk,

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease enzyme that curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, such as pepsin and a ...

, and cream. Burrata may have origins dating back to about 1900, produced at the Bianchino brothers (Lorenzo and Vincenzo) farm in the city of

Andria Andria (; Barese: ) is a city and ''comune'' in Apulia ( southern Italy). It is an agricultural and service center, producing wine, olives and almonds. It is the fourth-largest municipality in the Apulia region (behind Bari, Taranto, and Fogg ...

within Murgia, an area in the

n region. More recent records have shown that Lorenzo Bianchino of the Piana Padura farm first developed the product in 1956. In the 1950s, it became more widely available after some local cheese factories began producing it and it can be a useful way of using up the ''ritagli'' ("scraps" or "rags") of mozzarella. In November 2016 "Burrata di Andria" became a

protected geographical indication Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect nam ...

(PGI) product. Established as an artisanal cheese, burrata maintained its premium-product status even after it began to be made commercially in factories throughout Apulia. Burrata is also produced in the United States, particularly in artisanal cheese shops in cities on the

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

with historically large populations of

Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...

s. Nevertheless, the original "Burrata di Andria" is registered as a

Protected Geographical Indication Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect nam ...

in the EU and UK and all operations from the processing of the raw materials up to the production of the finished product must take place in the defined geographical area of the Region of Apulia.

Production

Burrata starts out much like mozzarella and many other cheeses, with

used to curdle the warm milk. Unlike other cheeses, however, the fresh mozzarella curds are plunged into hot whey or lightly salted water, kneaded, and pulled to develop the familiar stretchy strings ( pasta filata), then shaped. When making burrata, the still-hot cheese is formed into a pouch, which is then filled with the scraps of leftover mozzarella and topped off with fresh cream before closing. The finished burrata is traditionally wrapped in the leaves of asphodel, tied to form a little brioche-like topknot, and moistened with a little whey. The asphodel leaves should still be green when the cheese is served to indicate the cheese's freshness. More recently, the cheese is often sold in a plastic bag or container, sometimes stored in liquid.

Serving suggestions

When the burrata is sliced open, the thickened stracciatella flows out. The cheese has a rich, buttery flavor and retains its fresh milkiness. It is best when eaten within 24 hours and is considered past its prime after 48 hours. Thanks to its flavor and differing textures inside and outside, it goes well with salad,

prosciutto crudo ''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo ...

, crusty bread, fresh tomatoes with olive oil, cracked black pepper, or pizza, pasta, and chili.

References

{{Italian cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Cream cheeses Cuisine of Apulia Italian cheeses Water buffalo's-milk cheeses

History

Production

Serving suggestions

See also

References